


The Cool Uncle

by Shaddyr



Series: Stories of a (not quite average) Life [7]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, Kid Fic, M/M, Slice of Life, Trope Bingo Amnesty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-17 07:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13654536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaddyr/pseuds/Shaddyr
Summary: "Do you ever…" he hesitated, pressing his lips together. Did he really want to go there? What if the answer was yes?"Do I ever what?" John prodded, nudging him with his shoulder.Rodney steeled up his courage and asked despite his misgivings. "Ever regret not having one of your own?"





	The Cool Uncle

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the LJ/DW comm Romancing McShep 2018 fest.
> 
> This also doubles for a trope bingo fill: Kid Fic

"Thanks for taking her, Mer-"

Before Jeannie could finish her sentence, the three year old spitfire in question pulled free of her hand and tore across the room, heading straight for Rodney at warp speed.

"Unca Mewi! Unca Mewi!" she cried as she slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his legs. "Uppy!" she demanded, turning her cherubic face to look straight up at him. 

John tried to hide his grin behind his coffee cup, but Rodney scowled at him and he knew he was busted. He gave up and started snickering in earnest.

"Oh, you're going to get yours," Rodney muttered as he hoisted Casey up into his arms. She squealed in delight and wrapped her chubby little toddler arms around him.

"Imma have a baby bwover, Unca Mewi!" She chattered, hugging him for all she was worth, and Rodney couldn't keep from smiling.

"Yes, you are, Miss Casey," he agreed. "Are you excited?" he asked, pulling his face back a little peer down at her. She squirmed and bounced his arms, nodding with zeal.

"I gonna be the bestest big sister inna world!" she proclaimed, then craned up to kiss his cheek with a resounding smack, before trying to wriggle out of his arms.

"Whoa, careful!" he yelped, tightening his grip.

"Gotta give Unca John kisses too," she said as he set her down. "Or he be sad!" She made a beeline over to where John sat at the table to tackle hug him, but he scooped her up just as she reached him and held her over his head, eliciting gales of delighted laughter.

Jeannie and Rodney stood together and watched him, sporting matching expressions of fond indulgence. 

"He would have made a great dad, you know," she remarked as John blew raspberries on Casey's belly before lowering her and settling her in his lap.

Rodney gave his sister a sideways look. "I would have been a terrible one," he replied, deadpan. "It's much better this way." He looked back over at John, who was nodding encouragingly at Casey as she waved her little arms around and expounded on about the joys of having a new sibling. "I get to mold her brilliant little brain so she'll grow up to be a useful, contributing member of society, and he," Rodney pointed a thumb at John, "gets to associate with someone who is just about his maturity level." Rodney smirked. "It's a win-win." 

Jeannie rolled her eyes and shook her head at Rodney. "I'm not sure how long it will be," she said as she handed Rodney Casey's backpack. "Maddie's labour with Casey was around 36 hours and the second one is usually shorter, but who knows." Jeannie blew her bangs up out of her eyes. "Darren called before I brought Casey over and said she's about 5 centimeters dilated –" 

"Oh my GOD, Jeannie!" Rodney interrupted, horrified. "Just stop! That's way too much information!"

Jeannie just laughed and shook her head again. "You delivered a baby, Mer!"

"I _know_! It traumatized me for life! I've been trying to repress ever since, so don't bring those memories back!"

A voice came from right behind him. "Aww, tell the truth, Rodney, you've secretly wanted to be a midwife ever since delivering Torren."

Rodney started, then whirled around to where John stood close behind him, Casey on his hip. "I'm putting a bell on you, I swear," he grumbled. "And that’s a filthy, rotten lie," he said, raising his chin to look down his nose at John. 

Casey gasped and looked at John, wide eyed. "You tellin wies about Unca Mewi?" she asked, looking upset.

John leaned down to touch his forehead to hers. "I'm just _teasing_ him, honey," he said, smiling conspiratorially. "Because he gets all worked up and turns red and I think he's cute when that happens." 

As predicted, Rodney turned bright red and Casey clapped her hands and laughed.

"And on that note, I'm out of here." Jeannie pulled her keys out of her purse. "I'll call you from the hospital when Braden finally makes his appearance," she said as she opened the door. "If it's not too late, you can bring Casey to meet him."

"Sounds good, Jeannie," John said, then looked down at Casey. "Say goodbye to grandma!" 

"Bye Gwama!" Casey obediently caroled out, and Jeannie blew her a kiss before walking out.

Rodney stood in the kitchen and watched as Jeannie got back into her car. A few seconds later, she was backing out of the driveway and then headed out to the hospital, and he sighed.

"Something wrong?" John asked, moving to stand beside him, so close they were touching.

Casey took this opportunity to flop her head back to rest on Rodney's shoulder while still clinging to John. "I wuv you, Unca Mewi," she said brightly, smiling up at him.

Rodney felt his throat grow tight at the unabashed affection this little girl lavished on him every time her saw her. "I love you too, kiddo," he managed gruffly, reaching up to ruffle her hair.

He looked over at John, noting his complete comfort with having their little grandniece attached to him like a barnacle – though, admittedly, a somewhat adorable one – and thought on Jeannie's words.

"Do you ever…" he hesitated, pressing his lips together. Did he really want to go there? What if the answer was yes?

"Do I ever what?" John prodded, nudging him with his shoulder.

Rodney steeled up his courage and asked despite his misgivings. "Ever regret not having one of your own?"

John looked at him thoughtfully while gently swaying in the way people holding small children automatically fell into. "Do you?" he finally asked.

"Oh, _god_ no!" he replied fervently, and John chuckled.

"Nancy and I talked about it," John said slowly. "We planned to – we thought we'd try to have a boy and a girl." The look on his face when he said that was wistful, and Rodney felt his heart start to sink as John continued. "But, she was building her career and I was deployed half way around the world, so we thought we'd wait a few years – and then it was over and it's just as well we never had any." He shrugged. "After that, there was never anyone I would have wanted to have a family with. And Dave has kids to carry on the Sheppard name and inherit and all, so – I guess, it might have been nice, but I don't really regret it." 

"Well… good." Rodney let out a relieved sigh. "That's good. Sometimes, when I watch you with her, I worry that maybe being with me… deprived you of something you really wanted."

"Naw, don't worry about that," John assured him. "Being an uncle is the best of both worlds. I get to play Legos with her, take her to Playland and the movies and then give her back at the end of the day," he said, grinning. "Besides, if you and I'd had kids, we wouldn't have as much time for Casey girl now, would we honey?" John pulled her close, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. 

"You an Unca Mewi can't have babies!" she declared. "Momma sez ony girs have babies! You siwy, Unca John!"

"Well, there you have it, Rodney," John said solemnly, a twinkle in his eye. "We can’t have babies."

Rodney gave him a flat stare. "Right. How foolish of me."

Casey chose that moment to start squirming again. "Down, Unca John, down!" 

He put her on the floor and she promptly grabbed both of their hands. "Is time for toys now!"

"So it is," John agreed, and grinned over at him and Rodney smiled back helplessly in return.

Jeannie was right, he reflected as Casey dragged them into the rec room. John _would_ have made a terrific father, but he seemed content with the way things had worked out. Besides, he did have a point about the benefits of being an uncle. And now it was time for Rodney to pull out the Lego and teach him a thing or two about who was the coolest uncle of all.


End file.
